Spring is a wonderful time in our city. Trees and trips start to blossom, and as we celebrated Earth Day on April 22, we looked at the remarkable evolution of our rideshare fleet, thanks to the Green Rides Initiative.
Since October 2023, Green Rides has been a key piece of this administration’s sustainability and accessibility goals. Our electric for-hire vehicle fleet now tops 12,700 (and we also have 33 electric yellow taxis!) and the 169 million trip miles they’ve covered have curbed 40,000 metric tons of CO2 from entering our air. That benefits drivers and passengers, while protecting all New Yorkers from climate threats, improving our quality of life, and helping to build the green economy.
Our fleet is also the most accessible it’s ever been, with over 12,000 combined wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) and taxis. TLC drivers deserve credit for these gains, which have placed us a year ahead of schedule. While that’s a very good thing, if you’re an Uber or Lyft driver currently shopping for a new vehicle, making that vehicle an EV or a WAV would be a very, very smart choice.
Here’s why: Green Rides requirements for Uber and Lyft trips will increase to 25% in 2026 and 40% in 2027, then rise 20% every year until we hit the 100% mark in 2030. That means every year, Uber and Lyft will be dispatching significantly more trips to EVs and WAVs, and fewer trips to gas-powered vehicles. Buying a WAV or an EV today is the best way of ensuring you’ll be the driver getting more trips tomorrow. And if you don’t currently have your own vehicle – or are a new licensee looking to get into the industry – a WAV gives you that option right now.
It’s even worth considering a used EV. While the costs of used gas-powered vehicles are climbing, the costs of used EVs are rapidly falling. For now, the federal incentives – up to $7,500 for a new EV and $4,000 for a used one – are still in place. Remember, the longer a high-volume driver waits to make the switch, the greater the likelihood that that they will lose trips down the road – so now is the time for TLC plate owners to plan ahead.
The city’s fast-charging network is also significantly bigger than it was when Green Rides first launched, with more chargers coming soon!
Thinking about your next vehicle might bring some angst, but that’s why TLC provides free financial planning services and a host of other resources through the Owner/Driver Resource Center (you can email to make an appointment odrc@tlc.nyc.gov) and various other city agencies are also at your disposal. TLC drivers are among the most vital small-business owners we have in the city, and it’s never too early to start planning and investing in your future.
See you out there,
David Do
Commissioner, NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission
